Hi SoCal,Welcome to the
Wrapped Club
as an advocate for your husband! Glad to hear his recovery is going well.
Surgeons have a variety of preferred eating protocols. I was very fortunate that my surgeon trusted my judgement (and apparently the judgement of his other patients). He set me free on Day 6 to eat "whatever can be chewed to a liquid."
The rule included not eating steak or other hard meats, sandwiches, or un-toasted bread. In the beginning, swallowing was just plain challenging anyway, but allowing me to take the responsibility for my own eating choices made my recovery much easier and more enjoyable. It was trial/error, and I kept a paper napkin handy, where I'd deposit anything that didn't chew to a complete liquid.
My teeth and mouth became my blender. I chew, chew, chewed my food until it basically disappeared before swallowing. Many crispy things chew to a liquid very easily.
Just don't swallow anything that doesn't chew to a liquid. It
opens up a very wide variety of foods, and most will chew just fine. Small bites and chew, chew, chew.
If your husband is getting bored with his diet, and wants to begin branching out, just tell him to be sure to take small bites and chew, chew, chew his food to oblivion. The eating mistake most people make is not chewing their food enough. This will be forever for him.
Although reduction in swelling makes swallowing easier, his days of swallowing foods half-chewed are over. He will always have to chew his food completely, even when he's fully healed. Chewing food completely is much better for digestion anyway, and it would benefit even the "unwrapped"!
Unless someone has complications, or a unique situation, in my personal opinion, strict eating protocols are for the convenience of the surgeon. They ensure that their patients won't be making eating mistakes, and will be less likely to be calling with panicked eating problems.
More freedom of choice also makes it important for the patient to act responsibly, and THINK while eating. We've been eating fast, without chewing our foods thoroughly for many years. Old habits are hard to break. It will take time and practice to learn how to eat comfortably first during recovery, and then adjusting to improvements while still eating more slowly and chewing more fully when healed.
Best wishes for your husband's continued recovery!
Happy eating!
Denise